At World's End
by Aiko Isari
Summary: AU. The game is supposed to be over. But there are a few turns left for a couple people. All they need are selectors and a new field to play in. Lucky for them, the Digital World has both.
1. This Beginning is Tainted

1\. This Beginning is Tainted

The most important of the meetings took place in a world without colors.

The first was in one of many dreams.

Yagami Hikari had begun to dream of cards over the last couple of weeks. Of cards that spoke and magical battles. Of a crying girl and snow, the ever falling of snow while the sun shined down. The dreams had come in the wake of her brother's disappointment and fear. She should have been there. She knew that. She could have helped, he said. He had tried not to be angry but he wasn't good at not being what he was.

When she was nine, Hikari ended up in this grey world, where the sand made her feet feel covered in seaweed. It was after the fight in the internet. She hadn't joined them, how could she have? Obligations, honor, they were both important. The world was important. But her Digivice had never glowed once, and Hikari had assumed, as she had a fair amount of times, that it wasn't time for her to fight. So she had stayed behind, like she had the first time, no matter how much it _hurt._

She knew Taichi wouldn't understand that, because trying to tell the truth over and over never went well, so she let him be angry, and wished she could do something.

So the dreams began and she met a girl who could have been a part of the world if it weren't for the gentle waves of her hair being the color of a real ocean.

 _She's so much older,_ Hikari realized. Her hands were thin and gentle and afraid.

"It's going to be okay," she had said. In the dream, it hadn't been that clear, not until the end, when the water washed warm over her feet and told her the truth.

She had a guardian angel. She needed that angel for what was to come.

* * *

The second meeting in those grey waters was with the banished girl, around two years later.

She was supposed to have died, but evil was like a cat. It tended to have nine lives and a thousand curses. So there she was, pulling herself from the sea. What was left of her ribbons and skintight suit were drenched. Her red earrings glowed in this world without color and, for the current other visitor, it was frightening. The other occupant was still scared to be here, still in wonder that the device was _theirs._

"Are you okay?"

Soft voice, maybe male, probably not. Who cared? A living person, a pawn. Could be used, could be broken, once she got air.

"Where is this place?" Her voice was hoarse. Had she screamed? Her, of all people!

The person paused. She couldn't make out their features too well. They blended in with the scenery of grey everything and even paler sand. "I don't know." Well, that was helpful. They continued. "I-The Digivice brought me here."

"The _wha-at_?" Was it some kid's toy, like the fake pets girls played with before WIXOSS? Before a fun game. It sounded like it. She wanted to scoff.

Damn Mayu and her ruining the game. If only she hadn't been so stupid, falling for cheap tricks like _feelings._ Just like the rest of the world, honestly.

They held it out to her. She stared at it. Looked harmless enough, but it could get her out of here. If this kid, whoever they were, was holding it, it could be special. It could be like being a selector.

Useful.

Ulith smiled.

"Let's find a way out of here, shall we?" She sauntered forward, touching on e pale cheek with a wet finger. "Then you're going to tell me _everything about... this."_ As she closed her other hand around the toy, it shifted, turning as black and grey as the world itself. Perfect.

That was the first meeting of Ichijouji Ken and Akamine Ulith.

Three months later, the Kaiser rose to power. Within two more, the worlds called for help again. Lucky for them, they received an answer.

* * *

 **A/N:** Well. This was... interesting, wasn't it? I really enjoyed writing this one once I gave up on "let's stick to the canon". Clearly, I just need to stop doing that. Anyway please review if you enjoy this.

Challenges: Tale in Fragments, what-if, Monthly Restrict: write for a fandom with less than 1000 fics to its name, Crossover Challenge (I think), and Advent Calendar challenge day 9: write a crossover.

Warnings: non-binary character, violence, possible death, canon compliant with the end of spread, but you won't have to have watched WIXOSS to understand the bigger picture, and canon up until 02 itself.


	2. This Rain is a Symbol

2\. This Rain is a Symbol

The sky was downcast for the fifth day in a row, rain clouds threatening to burst over Takeru's head and drench his threadbare hat. He sighed a little, pausing outside of the front door. "I don't remember Odaiba being this moody," he said with a grimace. "It's been like this since I moved back."

"It must have sensed you," joked Miyako. Iori tried not to smile beside her, teal eyes thoughtful as they swept the streets as they walked. Probably watching for puddles. She tilted her head to look down at him. "Neh, Iori? We almost helped him carry drenched boxes."

"... I would like to assume otherwise." He was smiling now, and Takeru laughed.

"Don't worry so much. If it goes on until summer, I'll file a complaint."

Iori laughed at that and they passed by a group of kids passing around a soccer ball. "Morning practice in this weather?" He frowned. "They're definitely going to get sick..."

"Most of them are idiots: the team will be fine," Miyako replied with a teasing grin. "Let's get inside before we get rained on."

Takeru chuckled to himself, then a little melancholy smile crossed his face. He wondered if they planned to stay at this apartment this go around. They'd moved more in the past three years than they had when he was four. Well, he couldn't think about that now. He just had to wait to go to class. Then he could make some more new friends like Miyako and Iori, whose families had been kind enough to help him move, since Yamato had had to leave early.

When he entered the classroom, however, there was someone very familiar. Takeru resisted the urge to wave and instead smiled at the whole room. Once he sat down by Hikari, however, all bets were off.

"Surprise?"

She laughed, thumbing over her thin sleeves. "You're taller now."

"Are you sure you just didn't get shorter?" He teased. He was quite proud of his growth spurt.

Hikari tucked her hair behind her ears. "Hmm... Onii-chan would have to disagree with you." She paused suddenly, eyes almost glazing over. Her fingers coiled around the lanyard at her neck, touching something at its base.

Takeru blinked, peering to look. Was she going to faint? "What's that?"

She smiled, but the expression was too fleeting. "I got into a new game. And my camera broke yesterday. Feels weird not having them."

Takeru nodded, though as homeroom began, he kept glancing at her out of the corner of his eye.

Not that he didn't notice the pair of eyes on _him_ either.

* * *

"How is he, Tailmon?"

Patamon ducked his head back into the cave as he spoke, one eye on its mouth. Tailmon shot him a look of mild irritation, making more berry paste.

"About the same as he was five minutes ago. You need to keep watch for the others."

"They're gonna catch us if we're all here," croaked a voice from the makeshift bed of leaves.

Tailmon grimaced. "I'm more likely to hear them first, Agumon. Stay quiet. Call for Taichi again."

"We can't bring them here," he said with a wheeze.

"We don't have a choice." Tailmon kept her voice terse, tail lashing so she wouldn't shout. "The Chosen are at their best when they're together. You've seen this yourself."

Agumon grimaced. "The wraith thingies..."

"I can hold them off," Tailmon stated, looking at her Holy Ring. "Now slow down, rest, and focus. We need them."

"Yes, ma'am," the dinosaur croaked. The cave went quiet.

The world outside rumbled as a child walked through the forest. The Kaiser did not saunter nor swagger. They walked quietly, thoughts making up for the silence.

Regardless, the residents shied away in fear.

Tailmon and Patamon twitched in unison. "Switch with me," she ordered. He obeyed and she went to sit in front of the cave entrance.

None of them noticed a gentle orange glow behind them.

In another world, three devices started to beep.

* * *

 _ **A/N:**_ This is for the prompt "weather". Sorry for the late posting!


	3. This Door Always Revolves

_**A/N:** _ For the prompt "rock"

* * *

3\. This Door Always Revolves

 _"Hey."_

There was something rude in that boy's tone of voice, but at the insistent thrum of his Digivice, Takeru couldn't bring himself to care. He turned and offered a smile, trying to remember if he could reach the computer room from here. It was only lunch break. They had time. "Yes? Can I help you with something?"

A pause, too long. He really just needed to go to a computer, contact one of the others, see what was going on. Hikari had bolted from her chair after the bell rang, calling something about her Digivice. Had she left it in her shoe locker?

"You... you know Hikari-chan?" The boy tugged at his burgundy hair, standing as if prepared to crouch and dodge.

Was that what this was about? "Mmhm," he said, trying to smile. "We're old friends, um…"

"Daisuke." The guarded tone hadn't left the other's voice and Takeru was tempted to not bother thinking about it and shove aside. "Was she… like this before? She's been all quiet lately."

Takeru blinked. Well, he hadn't been expecting that. "Well, she's always been a little quiet, but…" Come to think of it, he hadn't seen her be so solemn before, except when that light had possessed her. "Not like this, no." He made to continue but then he heard the sound of rapid footsteps.

Hikari stopped behind Daisuke, eyes slightly wide. "Let's go, Takeru-kun!"

Takeru nodded, Daisuke erased from his mind, and followed her. Hikari had barely given Daisuke a nod, hadn't even noticed he was following them until he shut the door. Takeru ignored him, looking instead at a fully set-up Izumi Koushiro.

"Koushiro-san?"

The redhead managed a smile. "Takeru-kun, Hikari-san, good timing. Taichi-san went in before I could stop him."

Hikari nodded, chewing on her lip. "Onii-chan…" She closed her eyes and opened them again. "How did he open the gate? And why here?"

"Considering they should have been closed for the most part, it must have let him in." Koushiro sighed. "The Digimon were the ones who called us after all. I believe he intended to find you first, Hikari-san, but..."

"Taichi-san told me about those!" They all looked at Daisuke, who stared at them, confused. "He did! What's wrong with them? Don't they breathe fire and kick ass and stuff?"

Takeru almost laughed. These two had to be friends, or something. "Something like that. We need to get over there, now."

Hikari peered at the screen and raised her Digivice. "If Onii-chan is there," she murmured. "Then we need to hurry." The room burst with white light and then she was gone. Seconds passed, three dots of orange flew out, one landing in Daisuke's hand. The other two shot from the room.

Daisuke yelped and dropped it. "Was the computer trying to burn my hands off?"

Takeru thought that was the most normal reaction ever. "The Digital World might have been."

Daisuke grimaced. "Well, that ain't helpful." He picked it up and looked it over. The blue and white device let out a chirp of contentment.

"Koushiro-san?" Takeru said softly, turning back to him. Koushiro's dark eyes were flitting over the room, as though looking for an answer. Then he sighed.

"We can't think about that too much now," he said. "We need to get there and assist Taichi-san and Hikari-san."

Takeru sighed. He supposed that was true. He turned to Daisuke and managed a smile. "All right then," he said. "Your choice. Hold up your Digivice if you're going in." He held up his own, and that familiar swooping feeling of the Gate filled him up once more. There was something wrong with the Digital World. There was something wrong with Hikari-chan. These two things where probably connected.

That said, he wouldn't find any answers until he met up with Patamon and the others and saw it for himself.

A soft laugh tickled his ear, high and chilly _"And whaddaya think you'll do when you get here?"_

He'd figure it out.


	4. This Child Can Challenge

4\. This Child Can Challenge

Of course, Hikari didn't notice what she had left behind at all. She had landed in the Digital World and instantly started to grayed out landscape spread before her, cursing the trees and tightening the air in her lungs. She put her Digivice in her pocket once more, not wanting to drop or lose it. She closed her eyes, breathed slowly, then opened them. "Mayu?"

"Yes," she heard from the card at her chest. "This place... it calls us here. We can battle here."

The word 'battle' sent a warm shudder up her spine. Hikari wiped sweat from her brow and nodded. "Let's go... I need to find the Digimon and probably Onii-chan too, if they aren't together."

"Be careful, Hikari." Mayu's voice was as solemn as ever. "You're not me. There's no card to retreat to."

Hikari inclined her head a little, deciding not to say she would probably be more useful if she was a card. She wiped off more sweat as she walked, feeling the cool of ordinary forest brush over her skin after a few minutes. Why had she ended up in such a place before then? She kept walking, and then a soft hiss from Mayu made her halt, tilting her head. She then heard footsteps stop up ahead, as if they had noticed.

"Come out." The voice was quiet, but held an air of authority nonetheless. "I know you're here. Show yourself."

Hikari debated her options. It was possible the person wasn't referring to her, but to some other one, hiding somewhere. Then it would be better for her to come out.

"Behind you," she said. She would have to channel her big brother now. He did reckless things all the time: she could do it too. The speaker didn't jump, which was good she supposed. They turned, long dark hair obscuring them in the gloom. She saw pits for eyes, sallow skin trying to tan. _Their clothes,_ Hikari thought _, are like play clothes for kings. There's just no crown._

"Did you cause this?" She didn't let her fingers move to the card, but she wanted to. So desperately, she wanted to. This aura was everything she knew not to like, everything Mayu had taught her how to fight.

Hikari couldn't see their face, but she could guess a smile. "Well, I'm helping, so sort of."

They were young, maybe her age. "Why?"

"It's the only way to get my wish granted," they said. "There are no selectors left. I need to get my wish some other way." They paused, as if they could see the ashen look on Hikari's face. "Are you a selector then?" Hikari didn't answer, but the person's voice changed. "You are, aren't you? Are they with you? Your LRIG?"

Hikari looked down. Mayu nodded and Hikari raised the card in its casing.

Something changed in the air, a positive something. She still didn't like it.

"You do still exist." There was relief. "This method. It's so slow. That must mean you have a wish too, one that you need granted no matter what, right?"

Hikari looked at her feet. There was. There was an important wish. But. But...

Before she could answer, an invisible burst of air smacked into the other person. "Hikari-chan!" Patamon yelled, and the spell was broken. "This way!"

Hikari swallowed her relief and hurried after the bat hamster, disappearing from sight. "Where are the others?" She asked.

Patamon ducked under a branch. "Up this way! Is Takeru coming?"

Hikari managed to smile and nodded. "He was behind me."

"Yes!" The pig ducked down towards the mouth of a cave. "Things are finally going right!"

"What's been happening?"

"Tailmon can tell you better when Takeru gets here. Taichi isn't really listening." Patamon stopped at the entrance. "I'm going to get Takeru! Stay inside!"

Hikari watched him go, then stepped inside. Something leaped to her chest and she felt the tension ease from her shoulders. "Tailmon." She felt _right_ , once again.

"I missed you, Hikari."

There was a steady thrum from Mayu's card, but she still smiled. "Me too."


	5. These Shadows Echo

_For the prompt - station_

* * *

5\. These Moments Echo…

Taichi gave her a one-armed hug as she approached and she returned it with what energy she had that wasn't caught up in Tailmon and outside's fog. "Looks a mess out there. Not as bad as the Dark Masters but still."

How could you compare something so easily to the world warping power of the apocalypse? Hikari didn't ask this, merely nodded and scanned the cave with her eyes. "Is there anyone else here?"

"Just us and the Digimon," he replied with a head shake. He turned around, following her gaze "The only thing is Agumon… and this thing over here."

Agumon waved a claw wearily at Hikari. She grimaced, seeing the blood scabbed over underneath the leaf bandages. "Agumon…" She knelt to look at him and he grinned wearily.

"It looks worse than it is." He tried to sound reassuring, kind of failed. She still smiled. Mayu made a noise by her ears. "But, uh, we found a thing in here. It's like a Digiegg, except, well…"

"None of us have ever seen an egg used as a weapon before," Tailmon remarked, looking at the jagged spike poking out of the egg's shell. "At least not one like this."

Agumon snuffled a snort and Hikari moved to look at it, curiosity almost overwhelming her concern for a brief moment. With her fingers on the card, however, she knew Mayu was tense, curled around the indent where Hikari's index finger lay.

Taichi grimaced. "I couldn't pick it up." He went over to it to demonstrate, then pointed at the symbol glowing a soft gold in the grey world. "It shot out some lights into the hole there."

"One of those got into contact with Daisuke-kun," Hikari explained, expression going mulish. It seemed like he was a new Chosen. He had gotten a Digivice. And there were two more after him. Three even, if that person in the fog was a Chosen, though why wouldn't they be? Why was the Digital World doing this? The world was already awful, why did they take so long to call for help again?

Taichi frowned. "With Daisuke?" At Hikari's nod, he gave a pensive frown. Then he spun to the sound of rapid footsteps. "Well. Speaking of Daisuke. Only he can kick up that much dirt and not get in trouble."

"Senpai!" The enthusiastic brunette hurried into the cave, expression surprisingly serious. "What's going on? Hikari-chan just ran off after you in here!"

Hikari didn't even manage to look guilty, not even as Takeru ran to check her over. "You all right?"

"Better," she admitted. Now that she was here, where she could maybe do something. "Onii-chan's okay, but…" Hikari gestured around and saw his face twist with concern. "All of this?" The fog, the chill, the slowly fading color. It was too much like her nightmares. "This, it's just-" She shook her head to clear it before speaking again. "It's not a good sign." She wondered how far a world could go before it broke, like the egg that had hatched that large bird in Odaiba so long ago.

Takeru nodded thoughtfully, petting Patamon when he perched on her head. "I know what you mean. Not exactly how I imagined my first day back."

"Don't worry!" Daisuke ran up to them, more smiles than anything. "We'll figure it out, Hikari-chan."

"Promises, promises," Mayu mused and Hikari smiled a little. She hoped it was true. Daisuke was good at making things sound easier than they were.

"The first thing we gotta do." Daisuke strode over and leaped for the strange egg. "Is get this thing-whoa!" He grabbed it and pulled, ending up flying backwards. Then, the world lit up, and something plunged down to squash them.


	6. This Field is Alight

6\. This Field is Alight

Thankfully, that failed. It failed surprisingly easily at that. A small, blue and bipedal dragon leaped from the glowing orange light and punched up at the falling mass. It didn't get very far, but it did crash into the ceiling and give them all enough time to back away.

Well, it was less backing away and more of running as far out of the cave and as fast as possible. Hikari clutched tight to Tailmon, ignoring Mayu's voice for a moment. The blue dragon bounced at Daisuke's heels. "Hi buddy!" He said, beaming bright enough to possibly outdo the sun. "Thanks for letting me out!"

Daisuke stared at him, almost tripping over a rock. "What the hell were you doing under an egg in the first place?"

Hikari tuned out the conversation, looking at Mayu. Her small pale face was tight with anxiety inside the card, eyes narrow and shifting around. "Open the field, Hikari," the girl insisted. "That person from before is still watching."

Hikari paled and almost stopped walking. Only the other's footsteps made her continue, thin fingers wrapped tight around the card. "Are you sure?" The others would have turned to her at the sound of her voice but they were too busy running. Like, in retrospect, she should have been.

"Positive." Mayu tried to smile, but the expression was more full of discomfort than genuine confidence. "LRIGs always know when there's a selector around. That's the way the game was made."

Hikari thought of the Digimon chasing them and could only wince. She stopped and turned on her heels. Her heart thudded loud and hot, and she thought of the cold ocean and the cards in her belt. Tailmon clung to her shoulder, eyes bright with concern. She shivered, but lifted the speaking card out of its case. "Open," she ordered, and the world began to shine.

Then, everything went still. The Monochromon was stuck mid-run, eyes wide and red with hot anger. Her friends weren't much better. Hikari regarded them with dismay. If she hurried, she might be able to get back to them before they even noticed she was gone. Hikari stepped around the monster. "Mayu?" She called, voice echoing in the cave.

Before they hadn't been able to hear. This time however, all of them caught her single word loud and clear.

"Here, Hikari!" A young woman's voice sang in answer. There was a bubbly quality to it that warmed her chest. Hikari glanced back at the others for a moment, and then scratched Tailmon's ear before following said voice.

Time didn't seem to pass, then, once Hikari was out of sight, he could move again. Unfortunately, he didn't have time to worry about Hikari. They had to run from a Digimon.

What was even _going on_ right now?

* * *

Hikari clutched Tailmon gently, feeling the world thrum as Tailmon twitched. "Hikari?" Her voice was soft.

"Ssh."

Tailmon fell quiet and, when she regained feeling in her legs, climbed to Hikari's other shoulder. Hikari pet her, still chasing the voice. Tailmon's nose twitched. She didn't like this, following strange voices over places. It had gotten her and Hikari in trouble before. If it did now, she'd never forgive herself.

"Hikari, quickly!"

Hikari sped up. Her face was tight and her fingers wrapped around something in her pocket.

There was a loud, joyful laugh as the very air moved towards them. Tailmon rolled to the side, managing to pull Hikari with her, and there was another woman standing up ahead, white hair and bright, manic red eyes so bright in the gloom. Ribbons coiled around her fingertips. They lunged into the ground, missing them both by millimeters.

When the dust from the attack cleared, there was the Kaiser with cards in hand.

"Let's play," they said softly.

Hikari twitched.


End file.
